As part of a recent acquisition of a package of Terex cranes, the ALL Family of Companies added two all-terrain 5500 Explorer models to their fleet. These machines’ engines have a sweet Swedish touch — out-of-the-box Tier 4 compliance in a single-engine design. These engines are primed for clean and powerful performance.
A few years back, Terex teamed with Swedish company Scania in an agreement whereby Scania would produce engines for Terex diesel machines that would meet the highest level of global emissions standards. Here in the U.S., after a phasing-in period of several years, the EPA has set that mandatory standard as Tier 4 Final . The two new Explorer 5500 ATs each feature a Scania single-motor engine, the same engine as in ALL’s new Explorer 5800 AT, which was purchased in January.
This single-motor engine allows the operator to switch from carrier/lower to upper mode with the flip of a power selector switch. Not only does this save on fuel consumption — initial estimates indicate as much as 25% fuel savings — it saves on maintenance. Scania has constructed these engines to operate for twice as long before needing a rebuild (20,000 hours versus 10,000 to 14,000 hours) compared to any other AT engine. “We were looking for a single-engine design in the 5-axle AT class so that there would be a savings in fuel consumption and maintenance costs. This engine is a great benefit to the crane owner,” said David Kuhlman, senior sales manager for Terex Mobile Cranes.
But the new engine is even more impressive. “This is the only engine manufactured in the world that is Tier 4 Final without [needing] re-gen,” said Kuhlman. In the typical AT engine, for approximately every 50 to 100 hours of usage, the machine must go through a regeneration process to burn out the particulate contaminants in the exhaust system before it can be used again. This is a messy and inconvenient, high-heat, smoke-filled operation. “While operators receive warnings that it’s time to go through this process, they tend to come at the wrong time, like in the middle of a job, when it’s hard to stop and take the machine offline,” continued Kuhlman. Technology rules the day when it comes to the engine’s needs, however. “If you don’t respond after a series of warnings, the engine will force re-gen to happen on its own, ready or not.” This 30- 60-minute process can bring work to a grinding halt in the middle of a job. “This new engine doesn’t need to go through re-gen. It doesn’t even have a particulate filter, as the exhaust is so clean, there’s no filter needed,” added Kuhlman.
Safer, cleaner, more fuel efficient and able to run for a longer time — investing in Terex machines built with the Scania engine is clearly smart spending.
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Published in Lift Line magazine, Summer 2015